Liquid-fuel vaporizer



June s, 1924. 1,496,221@r G. W. HOFMANN LIQUID FUEL VAPORI ZER Filed May 19 1917 2 sheets-sheet 1 Gear e a ma n a/l@ g wf l my Mfg/m@ @mM/@wi June 3, 1924,` 1,496,224

l G. W. HOFMANN LIQUID FUEL VAPORI ZER Filed May 19 1917 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I Qf? Z067? ga KM Patented .lune 3, i192@ GEORGE W. HOFMANN,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

LIQUID-FUEL veroftIzEI-t.

Application filed May 19,

To all whom it may Gomera:

Be it known that I7 GEORGE W. HorMANN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Liquid-Fuel Vaporizers, of which the following-is a specilication.

The invention disclosed herein relates to an apparatus and a method for converting into mixed oil gas and vapor any grade of fuel oils, coal tar or by-products thereof, or similar substances, by internally mixing said substances with preheated air in proper quantities.

It is-Well known that for the perfect combustion of any solid or liquid fuels, it is necessary that each particle be surrounded by an atmosphere of oxygenhas in the case of calorimetric determinations. In approaching this condition when usingV fuel oils, coal tar or their by-products, or similar substances, it is desirable to spray the fluid in order to `enable the air supporting combustion to intermingle with the minute particles of the liquid to be burned. The same principle is available in reducing a liquid substance to a gaseous condition.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an improved method for converting fuel oils, coal tar or their by-products or other similar substances from a liquid to a mixed gas and vapor.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a method in which the nature and composition of the result-ing gas and vapor may be readily controlled for the production at will of an oxidizing, neutral or reducing flame, as may be required in various metallurgical and industrial processes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a vaporizer which is adapted to operateupon any grade of liquid fuel without requiring previous special preparation thereof.

Another object of the` invention is to cause a rapid and complete breaking up of the liquid fuel, so that the fine particles thereof may be quickly acted upon and effectively converted into gas and vapor, and that no unconverted liquid may be allowed to pass through the gasilier and enter the furnace. t f

`Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus possessing in a high degree the quality of flexibility for adaptation 1917. Serial No. 169,622.

to various grades -of fuel oil or to other special requirements; for insuring' which quality, first, the vaporizer is constructed' of separate units, the number of which mayv readily be increased or decreased; and secondly, these separate units are themselves' composed of detachable and interchangeable parts, which parts maybe varied in size.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide a v'aporizer which may be readily and quickly inspected for the removal of any solids that'may form' in its interior.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus in which the danger of damage due to back-firing is eliminated or minimized; and in which such damage as may occur from that vcause may be easily and quickly repaired by the substitution of parts. y

Another object of the invention is to provide a vaporizer that will insure an even distribution of the mixed gas and vapor about a center line of the vaporizer shown, and therefore an even pressure" at the outlet and an equal supply to the various nozzles where a plurality of nozzles are employed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a medial vertical section of a vaporizer embodying the features of my invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the line 2-2 of Fig. l. Fig. 8 is a cross-section on the in shown I provide a vertical shell, madeof cast iron or other suitable material, through which it is intended to pass from top to bottom a volume of preheated air mingled with fuel oils, coal tar or their byproducts, or any similar liquid substances. This shell is composed of sectional parts 4, 4a and 4b. The number of such parts et may be readily yincreased or decreased to regulate the time limit of travel of the liquid, dependent upon the quantity` and quality of the liquid which is to be converted. The parts l, 4a and 4b are held in close contact by three or more bolts 5 passing through lugs 6 formed on the parts la and ab, and secured by nuts 7 At the contacting edges the shells 4, 4a andeb areformed with a boss 8 having a half-round groove on its presenting side. When two sections are fitted together, these grooves form an annular tube in which may be compressed a round wick 9 of treated `asbestos or other similar material, Vto preventleakage of oil gas or air.

Each of the sections 4'. and 4b is offset at its inner upper' edge, forming in connection with the next higher section a rectangular groove adapted to receive and hold in position a deflector ring Y10 having any suitable diameter. ofopening in the center. The deiector ring ispcurved to assist the flow of the air and to catch any particles of fluid notconverted, and isformed with a small bead 11 at itspinner edge,to aid in the retention and breaking up of the fluids under the influence of the air current.

Midway of each sect-ion 4., 4a and 41h provide three or more internal lugs l2, each being cast with a rectangular pocket or depression 12. A center plate or baliie 13, of a diameter somewhat less than the diameter of the shell, is formed with round lugs 14 adapted to restin the depressions 12 of the lugs 12. To ,prevent displacement of the center plate by back-hre or other cause, l provide other lugsl on the shell immediately above the lugs 12, each of said lugs 15 being cast with a pocket 15a on its lower face, to register with the similar pocket 12a on the correspondinglug 12. ln case of back-fire, the center plates 13 are adapted to yield, thus `tending. to prevent breakage, but cannot be displaced from their posi tions and permitted to fall. The center .plate may, however, be easily removed when desired, by lifting the plate and turning it until the lugs 14 are out of register with the vlugsliZ and 15; and byreversing this operation another platemay readilyfbe inn sei-tedV whenz desired.

The center plate 13 is formed With a vconcavovconvex upper surface, the double curvature serving not only to assist the flow of the air butaiding also in securing, as comn pletely as possible, the mixture of the air and oil or other-.substance to be converted.

The oil,or other substance to be converted into gas and vapor, is admitted to the vaporizer througha pipe 16 inserted in the neel; or upper portion of the shell section it At the end of the pipe 16 is a distributor y 1T formed of steel or other suitable material and having a deep groove 18 milled on its .inner end and adapted to throw a thin horizontal sheet of Huid across the inlet of the shell section et, thus acting as an .atoniizer andpresenting the Huid in'finely divided particles for the action of the incoming air. The liquid in the pipe 16 is maintained by any suitable means, at a pressure of from k5 to 15 pounds per squarel inch or more, de-

pendent on the grade of oil or other, substance to be converted. Fuel oil having a parain base would not require as high a pressure as heavier oil-having an asphaltum base, coal tar, etc. The quantity of liquid vother suitable means at the inlet of said gn operation, preheated air is admitted under a low pressure at the upper or inlet end of shell section 4a. My experience has shown that the temperature of the air should be between 60() and 850 degrees Fahrenheit, dependent upon the grade of liquid tol be converted. The quantity of air may be increased or diminished to vary the oxygen content of the resulting gas. to produce an oxidizing, neutral or reducing flame, as may be desired. The liquid fuel being thrown in finely divided particles across the entering current of air, as hereinbefore described, the more highly volatile part of it is immediately converted into gas and passes quickly around and through the battles and into the furnace. Such particles of oil as are not immediately converted into gas are carried against the first centerV plate 13, thence swept by the current of air, aided by the curvature of the center plate, against the wall of the shell, thence upon the first deflector ring 10 where they are checked by the curvature of this deflector ring and by the retaining action of the boss 11, until, by theforce of the air current, suchparticles as still remain in liquid form are further broken` up and swept throughy the central opening ofL the deflector ring and down upon the next baffle or center plate 13, where they operation is repeated. Upon the surface of each center plate and each deflector ring and upon the side walls of the shell adjacent thereto the liquid is constantly being broken into finer particles until every part of it is converted intoV a vaporous condition.

The action of the heated air in converting the liquid fuel into mixed gas and oil vapor is further aided by the alternate rarefaction and compression of the air and gas during its passage through the shell, due to the fact that it is forced throughthe openings in thedeflector rings and around the center bafIie plates and momentarily expands in the relatively large space between them.

By reason of the symmetrical arrangement of the openings iu the deflector rings and around the center baffie plates, the distribu` tion of gas and oil vapor in passing through the shell is always symmetrical about its l claim as my invention:

l. A vaporizer containing center plate baffles, means for securing such baiies against rotation and displacement in one direction and means to limit their displacement in the opposite direction, thereby providing against danger of breakage from backfire.

2. A fuel vaporizer comprising a shell made in detachable units and containing center plate baffles, means on the interior of the shell for securing such baffles against displacement in the direction of the flow of the fuel in the process of vaporization, and means to limit displacement in the reverse direction thereby providing against danger of breakage from backfire.

A fuel vaporizer comprising, in combination7 a shell made in detachable units; and means for the introduction of a current of air; an oil distributor having a narrow transverse aperture opening into the shell and adapted to throw the liquid fuel across the current of air in a thin sheet or spray7 and a series of baiiies removably mounted within said shell.

4. In a liquid fuel vaporizer, in combinacurrent of air; means for spraying fuel oil across said current; a series of alternating center plate baiies and delector rings, both baiiies and rings having that surface which is presented to the current of air and oil vapor curved in such manner as to reect such current at the edge of their respective passageways whereby the agitation of the mixture is increased at the place of passage.

5. In a liquid fuel vaporizer, a shell adapted to convey a current of air and oil vapor; and a Series of center plate bafies, each of which presents to such current a double curved surface adapted to throw the current back upon itself at the edge of the baflie plate, whereby the agitation of the mixture is increased.

6. In a liquid fuel vaporizer, a shell adapted to convey a current of air and oil vapor, and a series of deliector rings having each a central opening7 said deflector rings having a recurved surface adapted to throw said current back upon itself at all points around the edge of such opening whereby the agitation of the mixture is increased.

In testimony whereof7 I have hereunto set my hand.

GEORGE W. HOFMANN. 

